Electrical stimulation method for vision improvement

Abstract

A method for improving visual ability of even a patient's non-operative eye is provided. The electrical stimulation method for improving vision of patient's eyes comprises placing an electrode in one of patient's right and left eyes, and outputting an electrical stimulation pulse signal from the electrode placed in the patient's eye under a predetermined stimulation condition to stimulate cells constituting a retina or optic nerve, thereby improving vision of the other patient's eye with no electrode being placed.

1 . An electrical stimulation method for improving vision of patient's eyes, comprising the following steps:
 placing an electrode in one of the patient's eyes; and   outputting an electrical stimulation pulse signal from the electrode placed in the patient's eye under a predetermined stimulation condition to stimulate cells constituting a retina or an optic nerve to improve vision of the other patient's eye with no electrode placed.   
   
   
       2 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of placing the electrode in the patient's eye includes placing a needle-shaped electrode to stick in an optic papilla of the patient's eye. 
   
   
       3 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of outputting the electrical pulse signal from the electrode placed in the patient's eye under the predetermined stimulation condition to stimulate the cells constituting the retina or the optic nerve includes outputting the electrical stimulation pulse signal under a stimulation condition for allowing the patient to perceive a phosphene. 
   
   
       4 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 3 , wherein the stimulation condition includes a combination of at least two chosen from an electrical current value, a frequency, and a pulse width. 
   
   
       5 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 4 , wherein the electrical stimulation pulse signal is a biphasic wave stimulation pulse signal comprising a cathodic pulse signal and an anodic pulse signal. 
   
   
       6 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 5 , wherein the cathodic and anodic pulse waveforms of the biphasic stimulation pulse signal are asymmetric or symmetric in waveform and equal in quantity of electrical charge of one pulse. 
   
   
       7 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 6 , wherein the electrical current value is 1 HA to 1 mA. 
   
   
       8 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 6 , wherein a repetition frequency of the stimulation pulse signal is 1 Hz to 1000 Hz. 
   
   
       9 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 6 , wherein the pulse width of the stimulation pulse signal is 10 Us to 1 ms. 
   
   
       10 . The electrical stimulation method according to  claim 6 , wherein the cathodic pulse signal is first output and then the anodic pulse signal is output.